On 18 August 2010, two divers watched as Ben McDaniel descended into the Vortex Spring just as he had many times before.
But on this occasion, the 30-year-old never resurfaced from the water and has been missing ever since.
The Tennessee man was divorced, facing a hefty tax debt reportedly of about $50,000 (£38,341) and had gone through bankruptcy with a construction company.
Added to this, he had been struggling since the loss of his younger brother in 2008.
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Having returned to his parent’s home, they offered for him to take a sabbatical at their beach home in Florida which he apparently seemed to benefit from, according to Historic Mysteries.
Soon McDaniel became a regular at Vortex Spring, one of the state’s largest fresh-water diving facilities as he returned to one of his childhood hobbies.
The popular Springs is home to a cave known for being very treacherous with a sign warning divers of the danger, including: “There’s nothing in this cave worth dying for!”
This sign was put in place following debates for the cave to be banned following 13 deaths in the 90s.
A locked gate was also put in place slightly further into the cave, with only certified cave divers allowed to use the key - McDaniel did not fall into this category.
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But with many becoming so used to seeing the bloke there, one of the divers that saw him (and worked there) followed him down to the cave.
This dive shop employee then unlocked the gate and re-surfaced. He is said to be the last person to have seen McDaniel.
The Sheriff’s Department was then notified when it was realised his truck was still in the parking lot and a detailed search soon began.
Volunteer divers and cadaver dogs searched the cave and the only evidence recovered was two decompression tanks from the entrance to the cave.
Searches continued for over 30 days and the family offered up a decent reward. However, a diver ended up dying when searching for clues in the cave and it led to huge uproar in the diving community - so, it was dropped.
There’s been many theories over the years over just what happened to McDaniel, including the likes of foul play or him staging his own disappearance.
But one is particularly haunting and potentially the most likely.
It is thought he may have become trapped in the cave, leading to him drowning and then eventually, being eaten by predators in the water.
It’s now been well over a decade since this disappearance, and it’s said the mystery will likely never be resolved.
Topics: Conspiracy Theory
Jess Battison